Fårö Document is a 1970 Swedish documentary film directed by Ingmar Bergman. It was shot on the island of Fårö and is about its inhabitants.
| Fårö Document | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ingmar Bergman |
| Produced by | Lars-Owe Carlberg |
| Cinematography | Sven Nykvist |
Release date |
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Running time | 57 minutes |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
Subject
editSpeaking in 1969, Bergman identifies Fårö as a small island near Gotland, with a population of 754, down from 1,100 40 years previously; it was merged into the larger Gotland municipality.[1] Erland Wallin, mayor, says in an interview the people of outlying areas outside of urban centres often feel neglected.[2] Bergman draws his conclusion the people of Fårö lack equality compared to others in urban areas: the youth lack a gathering place, schools lack funding, families have no daycare, and interviewee Arvid Andersson is frustrated that his efforts to have a bridge built over Fårö Sound achieve no results.[1] Bergman also called for subsidies for the island's farmers.[3]
Production
edit
Bergman shot numerous films on Fårö, including Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Persona (1966), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Shame (1968), The Passion of Anna (1969), and The Touch (1971); however, whereas the others use the island for symbolism and have been termed the "island films", Fårö Document is a documentary.[4] Cinematographer Sven Nykvist shot the documentary on 16 mm film.[5] The Fårö Document production crew consisted of five people and the interviews and photography lasted between 15 March and 1 May 1969.[3]
Broadcast and release
editFårö Document initially aired on Swedish television on 1 January 1970, with approximately three million viewers.[6] Outside Sweden, its availability was limited, but the Paley Center for Media in New York City made the film available with English subtitles.[3]
In 2018, The Criterion Collection released the film on Blu-ray in Region A, along with 38 other Bergman films, in the set Ingmar Bergman's Cinema.[7]
Sequel
editA second documentary, Fårö Document 1979, followed in 1979.[8] Bergman shot the follow-up film observing the lives of the locals, including shearing sheep and carrying out other chores.[9] Criterion included a Blu-ray version of the follow-up documentary in Ingmar Bergman's Cinema.[7] At the end of the film, Bergman, in the voiceover narration, implies that there would be a second sequel if he were still alive in ten years' time, but no such sequel ever materialized.
References
edit- ^ a b Bergman, Ingmar (1970). Fårö Document. Ingmar Bergman's Cinema (Blu-ray). The Criterion Collection.
- ^ Wallin, Erland (1970). Fårö Document. Ingmar Bergman's Cinema (Blu-ray). The Criterion Collection.
- ^ a b c Steene 2005, p. 418.
- ^ Steene 2005, p. 40.
- ^ "Fårö Document". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ Vermilye 2002, p. 33.
- ^ a b Chitwood, Adam (12 July 2018). "Criterion Announces Massive 39-Film Ingmar Bergman Blu-ray Collection". Collider. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ Steene 2005, p. 419.
- ^ "Fårö Document 1979". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
Bibliography
edit- Steene, Birgitta (2005). Ingmar Bergman: A Reference Guide. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 9053564063.
- Vermilye, Jerry (2002). Ingmar Bergman: His Life and Films. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786411600.